Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) were isolated from whisker follicles of Sprague–Dawley rats that constitutively express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Cells transplanted to athymic mice differentiate and contribute to all lineages of the hair follicle and sebaceous gland.
Single cells were isolated from dissected whisker follicles and maintained on a feeder layer of lethally irradiated 3T3-J2 cells in medium supplemented with human recombinant epidermal growth factor (hrEGF, 10ng/ml). Medium was changed every 3-4 days.